Here are the main points of the pre-budget report from the chancellor, Gordon Brown:

Pensions State pensions to rise above inflation £5 for single pensioners and £8 for married couples this year Extra £3 for single pensioners and £4.80 for couples next year Poorest pensioners to get extra £700 per year from March 2001 New credit to be linked to earnings Tax-free winter allowance of £200 sent out this week to every pensioner

Fuel and transport Fuel duty frozen until April 2002 Fuel duty on ultra-low sulphur diesel down by 3p in Budget 2001 Road tax scrapped for tractors Cheaper driving licences for 5m motorists, those with 1500cc vehicles, from March 2001 No windfall tax on oil companies' profits

Education New money for repairs and improvements to every school in the country A typical English secondary school will get £36,000 for repairs this year, up from £19,000 The average primary school will get £12,000, up from £6,500

WelfareNew deal for 150,000 more single parents

Investment in industryNew research and development credits for businesses

E-commerceExtra tax relief on share options for e-commerce companies

North-south divideRegional development agencies to get greater flexibility to allow them to decide how central government funding is spent

EnvironmentAccelerated tax relief for companies cleaning up contaminated land